Hatching Jumbo Coturnix Quail - Pharaoh Quail

The Jumbo Coturnix Quail is known by many names, pharaoh quail, bible quail and jumbo brown being the most common. This variety of the quail species originated in Japan but has become popular all over the world because they are such calm easy birds to raise. There are many jumbo brown farms in the United States and other countries.

The jumbo couturnix quail is raised for several purposes including consumption of the eggs and the bird itself, song and to supply hunting clubs around the world. The earliest written record about the quail dates to around the 12^th century Japan. Quail were being kept and raised for the beautiful calls. It would be the claims of a Japanese emperor that would spur the widespread interest in quail meat and eggs when he claimed he was healed from tuberculosis by consuming quail. Very soon, Jumbo Couturnix quail were being raised all over Asia.

Life Cycle

There are two ways you can begin raising Jumbo Couturnix quail, you can purchase a breeding pair, allow them to mate and then wait for the female to begin laying. Most females will only lay one egg per day, which is why many people choose to purchase a large number of eggs from a farm and incubate them for a large harvest all at one time.

The incubation period for a fertile jumbo couturnix quail egg is around 18 days in an incubator with humidity settings of 50-60%. By day 14, you should move the eggs to the hatcher and stop turning them. Once your babies hatch you can expect them to mature by 8 weeks of age, which is another reason these birds are so popular for commercial consumption.

In the wild, these quail live in grasslands and build their nests on the ground, a situation many breeders try to imitate for the best laying results. However, there are as many different types of quail enclosure types as there are people raising them. Some people will use a series of cages that take their babies from freshly hatched to maturity and they use all sorts of boxes or enclosures for nesting. Left to their own devices the mother quail sits on her eggs and tends to the warmth and care of her chicks, a job they do quite well.

Uses

Jumbo Couturnix quail are a great dual-purpose food source bird, and for the most part that is exactly what they are raised for commercially. There are some who raise them purely for sport hunting however. In many places around the world, hunting clubs have been established for different types of game, including quail. While many people take offense at this practice it is important to note that hunters in these situations are not upsetting the natural balance, as they are hunting animals that have been specifically bred and raised for this purpose.

Conclusion

Whether you are interested in song, food or sport the jumbo couturnix quail is a species that can provide all three, and if you are wise, they can even produce a decent income. Among the commonly raised bird species, these quail are probably the easiest to raise.